


We don't need no fake magic

by Rosetylars



Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Practice Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:00:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25397302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: A fake dating AU in which Pat pretends to be in a relationship so that Josh and Starcy don't force him to be the next Bachelor.As you can tell, this is very deep. 😉
Relationships: Mitch Marsh/Pat Cummins
Comments: 31
Kudos: 16





	We don't need no fake magic

**Author's Note:**

> Set during the 2017/18 Ashes series (without much detail about the results for my English friends!)

“Hold on, stop talking for a second. You and Starcy signed me up for what?” 

“Don’t get mad,” Josh warned, which made Pat even more mad than he already was. “We signed you up to be the next Bachelor. It was meant to be a joke, I swear! But the producers have already emailed us and they want to meet up with you,” Josh said, bracing for the inevitable reaction. 

“What the fuck?!”

Josh put a hand on Pat’s knee, where he sat beside him on Pat’s couch. “Mate, look at ya! You’re a perfect specimen. Everyone loves you. Plus, the show loves the idea of a professional sportsman on there. People will eat you up, mate.”

Pat felt pretty repulsed by that idea. “No, Josh, you don’t understand... that kind of thing just isn’t for me,” Pat protested weakly. 

Josh looked at him. “Why? They’ll hand pick twenty hot chicks for you and all you need to do is pick one at the end. Who knows how many you’ll get to make out with, maybe even fuck-“

Pat cut him off with a hand over his mouth. “Joshua, we do not speak about ladies like that,” he chastised. 

Josh gave Pat a sheepish smile. “Sorry, mate. But you have absolutely no reason to say no to this opportunity. It’s perfect!”

Pat’s stomach was turning. There was no way he could go through with this. Pat wasn’t searching for a girlfriend - he was more interested in guys, honestly, and he wasn’t even looking for anything at the moment. The Ashes series was coming up, and it would be the first home Ashes series of Pat’s career. It was a huge deal, and he didn’t need a partner complicating that. 

So he panicked. “I’m already seeing someone,” Pat blurted out. 

Josh stared at Pat, mouth agape. “No you aren’t.”

“I am!” Pat lied. 

Josh frowned. “Mate, I’ve been your best friend for more than seven years. I think I would know if you were seeing someone.”

“It’s really new,” Pat made up, heart racing with his fibs. “I didn’t want to tell you in case it didn’t work out.”

Josh looked at him. “If you’re for real, let us meet her!” 

Something must have flashed across Pat’s face, because Josh raised his eyebrows. 

“Or, is it a bloke?”

Pat was already in deep shit, he knew that. So he nodded. 

***  
Later that night, Pat was nauseous with nerves as he called Mitch up. 

“Hey, Patty,” the warm West Australian voice came through the phone. 

Pat could hear the smile in Mitch’s voice, and just the sound helped calm him a bit. 

“Mitchy, you’re not going to believe this, but I need to ask you a really, really big favour.”

Mitch inhaled sharply. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just… I may have told a really big lie today, and now I’m in a big mess,” Pat explained.

“Patty, if you need me to piss in a little sample tube for you when we’re in Brissy next week, I won’t ask any questions,” Mitch said gently.

Pat gasped. “Mitch! This is not drug related, god, who do you think I am?”

Mitch laughed heartily. “Sorry, I’m listening. What have you gotten yourself into?”

Pat took a deep breath. This was it. “I told Josh that I had a boyfriend,” Pat admitted.

Mitch was clearly surprised, by that, and he paused for a moment. “Do you actually?”

“No!” Pat’s reply came too quickly, and he cringed at himself. “No, I don’t. He and Starcy signed me up to be the next Bachelor, and apparently Channel Ten were very keen on the idea, and I freaked out,” he explained in a rush.

“Woah,” Mitch breathed. “Okay. That’s a lot to take in. So, you have an imaginary boyfriend. That’s not too bad, is it?”

Pat swallowed. “That’s the thing, Mitchy… Josh wants to meet him. He was practically interrogating me. I… you know I love you, right? And you’re the best friend I could have ever asked for?”

Mitch laughed softly to himself. “Patty, are you asking me to be your fake boyfriend?”

The words sounded a lot more simple from Mitch’s mouth than they had in Pat’s nervous mind.

“Well… yeah, I guess I am,” Pat admitted softly. “If you wouldn’t mind, that is. I’d totally understand if you’re not comfortable being seen as dating a guy-“

Mitch hushed him gently. “Shh, don’t overthink it. Of course I’ll be your fake boyfriend. I’d be honoured,” he added with a soft laugh. 

Pat sighed with relief. “Thanks, Mitchy. You’re a lifesaver. I owe you one.”

“No worries. It must be so late over there,” Mitch said.

Pat checked the clock on his phone - it was almost 1am. “Yeah, I’ve been worrying,” he laughed softly. “Thanks again, you’ve saved me from national humiliation. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Mitch laughed sweetly. “No stress. Love you.” 

Hearing their usual phone sign-off made Pat feel like maybe things weren’t going to be too weird for them.

“Love you too, Mitchy. Goodnight.”

***  
Mitch woke up the next morning with butterflies in his stomach, and it took him a couple of seconds to remember why, and his whole conversation with Pat the previous night.

Shaun and Bec had invited him over for breakfast, so he threw on some clothes and got in the car to head over.

He was practically bursting to tell Shaun what was going on. 

Mitch was sitting at the kitchen island when Shaun brought it up. “Mate, you haven’t stopped fidgeting since you got here. Is there something on your mind?”

Mitch huffed a laugh at how obvious he had been. “Yeah. You won’t believe the phone call I got from Pat last night,” he began.

Shaun just raised his eyebrows, cutting up some apple for Austin at the same time, on the other side of the bench. Bec was using the coffee machine, and she turned to look at Mitch, intrigued.

“So, Josh and Starcy signed Pat up to be the Bachelor, and obviously he’s not keen on that-“

“Don’t they know he’s into blokes?” Shaun asked plainly, cutting Mitch off.

Mitch laughed. “Exactly! Obviously not. Anyway, apparently it was actually going to happen, so Pat panicked and lied to Josh, saying he had a boyfriend.”

Bec frowned, and Shaun stared at Mitch blankly.

“And where do you come into this?” Shaun asked.

“Pat asked me to pretend to be his boyfriend.”

“You’re joking,” Bec grinned.

Shaun blinked, transferring the apple slices from the chopping board to a plastic plate. “Is this a joke?”

Mitch shook his head. “No, I’m serious.”

Bec poured the coffee into a mug for each of them and sat down beside Mitch. “Mitch, does he know you have feelings for him?” She asked gently.

Mitch’s eyes widened. “No! He can’t find out, that would just make this super weird,” he stressed.

She nodded, showing she was listening. 

“Does this mean you’ll be kissing him?” Shaun asked. 

Mitch’s heart stopped. He had been trying to keep his mind away from that slippery slope. (It’s not as if he had never imagined kissing Pat, or even dreamt of it. Far from it, actually. Before he fell asleep, some nights, he imagined what it would be like to fall asleep, Pat wrapped up in his arms, kissing him to sleep. Sometimes, the thought was pleasant - other times, though, it just left a huge ache in Mitch’s chest.)

“Mitch?” Shaun said, making Mitch snap out of his thoughts, realising he hadn’t replied. 

“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Maybe, yeah, if that’s what he needs me to do,” Mitch replied. 

Mitch didn’t see the look Shaun and Bec exchanged. 

“Alright, mate, you’re being a good friend for doing this for him,” Shaun said. “I just hope you don’t end up hurt at the end of it.”

***  
Their training camp was in Brisbane ahead of the first Ashes Test, and Pat’s heart was racing as he waited for Mitch at the airport. He was always excited to see him - they had shared a close bond ever since their debut tour together, six years ago - but this felt different. 

Mitch arrived with Shaun and Cam Bancroft, but he abandoned them immediately when he saw Pat, just holding himself back from running into Pat’s arms. 

Pat greeted him with a kiss on the forehead, as was customary between them, and Mitch’s heart fluttered. 

“I’ve missed you, Mitchy,” Pat grinned, holding Mitch at arm’s length to study his face. 

Mitch flushed under the scrutiny. “Missed you more. Ready to fool Joshy and Starcy?” 

“Absolutely,” Pat grinned. “Thank you for doing this. I really didn’t want to be on reality TV,” he chuckled. 

Mitch grinned. “Anything for you, Patty.”

***  
Their first challenge was to reveal their ‘relationship’ to Josh and Starcy. 

They had both been begging Pat to tell them who he was dating, so he had told them he would do them one better, and actually bring said partner to hang out with them. 

Pat and Mitch had been roomed together in the hotel, and so had Josh and Starcy, so Pat told the others that he and ‘the person he was dating’ would meet them in their room at 8pm. 

As they stood outside the door, Mitch squeezed Pat’s hand. “Ready?” Mitch asked. 

Pat took a deep breath. “No, but I’m with you, so I feel safe.” 

As Pat knocked on the door, Mitch tried not to melt into a puddle at his words. 

Josh opened the door, and looked confused to see his teammates. 

“Hey, Mitch, what are you doing here? Are you here to meet Pat’s new lover, too?” Josh asked. 

Pat’s eyes widened as he realised the mistake. “Joshy, it’s him,” he mumbled. 

Josh’s jaw dropped. “Wait, you guys are dating?”

Mitch’s heart was racing. “Yeah, we are.”

“What the fuck?” Starcy asked, having heard their discussion from the couch. 

“Boys, come in,” Josh suggested, holding the door wider with one hand, pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. 

Starcy patted the space beside him on the couch and the boys sat down. 

Mitch could see it in the set of Pat’s shoulders that he was tense. He put an arm around him, and Pat melted into his side. 

“So, you two are together,” Starcy repeated with disbelief. 

Pat nodded. 

“I guess you boys have always had chemistry,” Starcy mused, making Mitch’s heart flip. 

“I guess we have,” Mitch said softly, trying to keep his voice even. 

Starcy hummed thoughtfully. “So, Marshy, what did you see in Patty that made you want to be more than friends?” Starcy asked, an intrigued grin on his face. 

Mitch froze. He had to answer, otherwise it would give their whole act away. But he’d spent so many years longing to be with Pat that if he said too much, he’d be in trouble. 

Pat, Josh and Starcy were all looking at Mitch expectantly. He needed to say something. He decided to start small. 

“Well, he’s my best mate, and he just gets me,” Mitch said.

Pat gave him the sweetest little smile in response, and Mitch’s heart ached. 

“Surely there’s more to it than that,” Josh protested. 

Pat met Mitch’s eyes, giving him a subtle look. They needed something more convincing.

“Well, the sex is nice, too,” Mitch said, revelling in the look of shock on Starcy’s face, and horror on Josh’s. 

Well, Mitch thought, that would teach his friends not to ask such probing questions.

“Fuck, too much information,” Starcy declared, covering his eyes.

Pat was blushing profusely, but he defended Mitch. “Hey, you asked, he answered.”

Mitch appreciated the support, and he leant over to bump Pat’s shoulder with his own. They shared a soft smile, and missed the look that Josh and Starcy exchanged at the action.

“I still can’t believe the two of you are together… romantically,” Josh mumbled.

Pat shrugged. “It’s new,” he mumbled.

“But how did it start? You couldn’t have just been best friends for so many years and then suddenly started dating overnight,” Starcy reasoned.

Pat and Mitch exchanged a panicked look. 

Pat opened his mouth to speak, but thankfully, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Since the two fast bowlers were sharing the room, Josh headed to answer it. It was Steve. 

“Hey, Joshy, have you seen Mitch Marsh?” Steve asked.

Mitch’s stomach sank. There was normally only one reason the captain would pull him aside before the team selection meeting. 

Pat must have thought the same thing, because he reached out and squeezed Mitch’s hand comfortingly. 

As Mitch headed out to learn his fate, he realised that Pat was better at pretending to have feelings for him than Mitch expected. 

***  
When Pat and Mitch finally got back into the privacy of their own room, Mitch flopped down onto his bed with a sigh. “That chat with Josh and Starcy was intense, Patty,” he declared.

Pat chuckled, joining Mitch on the bed, sitting cross legged beside him. “Thank you for agreeing to this, Mitchy. If they were so nosy about the two of us, imagine how bad actually being the Bachelor would have been.”

Mitch nodded, reaching for Pat’s hand. The familiar action, in this new context, was dizzying. 

“There’s no way I was letting you go on the Bachelor. All the shallow hook ups and objectification… that’s not you,” Mitch said, not realising how possessive the words sounded.

“No, it’s not me,” Pat agreed. “The boys freaked out when you mentioned the ‘great sex’,” he chuckled.

Mitch tried not to actually think too deeply about that topic, lest he needed to find a pillow to cover his lap with. “Sorry. It was the only way to get them off our backs.”

Pat shrugged easily. “Don’t be sorry, it was perfect. I wonder who they think would top,” he mused.

Mitch nearly choked on his tongue. “Patrick James!”

“Hey, I’m just saying,” Pat grinned, poking his tongue between his teeth in the way that drove Mitch crazy. 

“Holy fuck, give a man some warning before you say something like that,” Mitch chuckled.

Pat smiled softly, picking at a loose thread on the hem of his jeans. “I reckon it’d be you,” he mused, the words knocking Mitch for six.

“Why?” Mitch asked, intrigued, turned on, and mortified at the same time.

Pat shrugged. “You’re more… sexually experienced. Older, bigger build…”

Mitch had to cover his face, embarrassed and excited all at once. “Patty, you’re killing me,” he groaned, turning red.

Pat just grinned. “You’re not disagreeing,” he teased.

Mitch groaned. He so wanted to bite back, but he was treading a dangerous line. Pat was his best friend, and they were joking around about having sex with each other. It didn’t help that Mitch had imagined that scenario on more than one lonely night. 

Mitch must have hesitated for a fraction too long, because Pat reached out and put a warm hand high on his thigh, dangerously close to…

“Sorry, I shouldn’t push. You probably think it’s too weird to talk about,” Pat mumbled, self-consciousness creeping into his voice.

“No, I don’t mind,” Mitch replied immediately, making himself cringe. 

Pat, though, took it in his stride. “Oh, I see,” he chuckled, giving Mitch a little push in the side.

“Yeah, I was just trying to process that you practically just said I’d fuck you,” Mitch grinned, unable to hold back a lick of his lips.

Pat blushed delightfully. “Well, theoretically, I mean,” he mumbled.

“Yes, Patty, theoretically,” Mitch agreed. 

Their discussion turned to less personal, safer topics after that, but as he tried to drift off to sleep that night, Mitch couldn’t shake the tiny spark he felt between them.

***  
Since the boys normally stuck together whenever they were both in a squad, nothing much had to change. They sat together for meals and meetings, and not a bit of it felt forced.

The following afternoon, after gym, Shaun pulled Mitch aside.

“Pat was staring at you the entire session,” Shaun said quietly. Shaun and Pat had been paired up to spot each other.

Mitch pulled a face, surprised. “Was he just pretending for the sake of Josh and Starcy?”

Shaun shook his head. “They were on the opposite rotations to us, they weren’t nearby at all,” he explained. “This wasn’t… forced. I don’t think he realised he was doing it,” he added.

Mitch’s stomach was full of butterflies. “Does it… do you think it means anything?”

Shaun shrugged, but Mitch could tell there was something his brother wasn’t saying. “I don’t know, mate,” he said gently.

Mitch bit his lip. “We had a… personal conversation, last night,” he mumbled, embarrassed. 

“Personal as in emotional?”

“No… like, sexual,” Mitch admitted, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

Shaun raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything.

Mitch continued. “Before that, I kind of told the boys our sex was good, to get them to stop asking questions that we couldn’t answer,” he grimaced. “And then when we were alone, Patty said he thought I’d be the one to… you know…” Mitch trailed off uncomfortably.

Shaun put a hand out to stop him. “Mate, I love you, but that’s enough. I get what you’re saying,” he sighed. “I know I’m biased, but I really don’t think Pat would have asked you to pretend to be his boyfriend if the idea repulsed him,” he pointed out.

That was a bit too much for Mitch to process, and he must have pulled a confused face, because Shaun rolled his eyes.

“I’m saying, he might like you,” Shaun simplified.

Mitch’s eyes widened. “For real?”

Shaun shrugged. “It’s possible. You have the entire summer to find out,” he reasoned.

Mitch nodded, considering his brother’s words. It was a whole lot to think about, and the idea gave him butterflies.

***  
After the Brisbane Test, the squad moved to Adelaide. When they got to the hotel, Pat and Mitch left their luggage with the team, so that they could go and grab a coffee from the cafe next door, while everybody got checked in and organised. 

When they returned to the hotel lobby, the rest of the squad turned to look at them.

Mitch’s stomach lurched, and Pat frowned. “Is everything okay?” Pat asked.

Shaun gave Mitch a warning look.

Josh was the one to answer. “There was a bit of a mix-up when CA booked the rooms. One room only has one king bed, so the group decided you boys wouldn’t mind,” Josh waggled his eyebrows at Pat and Mitch.

Mitch’s heart was racing. He couldn’t protest - it would blow their act in a second.

Pat seemed to have the same thought, because he met Mitch’s eyes momentarily before putting on a pretty smile. “No worries,” he said airily, heading over to collect their keycards.

As he was gone, Shaun went to Mitch’s side. “I texted you to warn you, but I guess you were distracted,” he mumbled.

Mitch’s cheeks heated up. “Thanks anyway,” he mumbled. “I’m so fucked.”

***  
It wasn’t as though Pat and Mitch hadn’t shared beds before. Over the years, they had fallen asleep together playing video games, watching movies, or just talking rubbish, more times than Pat could count.

But this felt… different. For an entire week, they were going to be sharing a bed. Properly sharing a bed, not just crashing for a night.

The room was cosy… almost romantic. It was definitely designed for a couple. 

Pat tried to push that thought to the back of his mind. This was going to be an interesting week.

***  
A couple of days after arriving in Adelaide, Steve told Mitch that he was going to miss out at selection again. 

Mitch was flat when he got back to the room he was sharing with Pat. 

Sharing had been going alright - the bed was huge, and both boys managed to keep to themselves throughout the night. 

Mitch flopped down onto the bed with a sigh. Pat had been sitting on the bed, reading, and he bookmarked his page to give Mitch his attention. 

“You okay?” Pat asked, running his fingers through Mitch’s hair.

Mitch sighed. “Missed out on selection again,” he explained.

“Oh, Mitchy,” Pat said sadly. “I’m so sorry. You deserve to play,” he soothed.

Mitch shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe I don’t,” he mumbled. 

Pat continued the soothing stroking of Mitch’s hair. “Hey, don’t doubt yourself now. I know how good you are,” he said gently.

Mitch sighed, but he repeated Pat’s words in his mind. If Pat believed in him, maybe Mitch should believe in himself, too.

***  
It happened after a long, hot day that Pat spent in the field, bowling more overs than he would have liked. Mitch had been running the drinks, and every so often, Pat would turn and give him a glittering smile over the boundary, turning Mitch’s stomach to mush. 

They were just chilling out on the couch after their team dinner, watching a repeat of Bondi Rescue, when Pat brought it up.

“Starcy said he found it weird that he’d never seen us kissing,” Pat mentioned.

Mitch almost choked on his tongue. 

Pat smiled softly at his predicament, but his expression soon fell. “I was surprised, too. I’m a bit worried they don’t believe us,” he murmured.

Mitch turned to look at him. “Really?”

Pat nodded, looking stressed. 

“Patty, if you think a little kiss is all it’ll take to convince them, I don’t mind,” Mitch offered, heart racing. 

Pat met his eyes, concerned. “What if it looks awkward? Nobody’s first kiss is pretty, real life isn’t like in the movies... they’d expect us to be comfortable with each other already,” he worried. 

Suddenly, the solution was clear in Mitch’s mind. And it made his heart race like crazy. 

“You know it’s simple, right?” Mitch replied. 

Pat frowned. “What is?”

“How to fix this. All we need to do is just kiss each other now for practice,” Mitch suggested, trying to keep his voice calmer than his mind felt. 

Pat blinked. “Are you sure, Mitchy? I feel bad enough to have pressured you into this situation-“

Mitch shook his head to hush Pat’s worrying. “Patty, it’s okay. I promise,” he said gently, letting his eyes fall to Pat’s lips. 

Pat took a deep breath, nodding, clearly trying to reassure himself. “We kiss each other elsewhere all the time. It’s not that big a deal, right?”

“Exactly,” Mitch agreed, stomach full of nerves as he realised what was about to happen. 

Mitch put a hand on Pat’s stubbly cheek. Pat looked at Mitch’s lips, taking in a soft breath. And then Mitch kissed him. It was chaste and soft, but Mitch felt like he was melting. He was kissing Pat Cummins. His best friend. Pat brought his hand up and placed it over Mitch’s, and Mitch couldn’t breathe. 

When they finally separated, Mitch felt drunk. Pat was blushing furiously, and Mitch could tell he was nervous about what they’d just done. 

Mitch was worried they had just blown their entire friendship... until Pat did something Mitch had never expected. 

He leant in to kiss Mitch again. 

After a few moments enjoying the chaste kiss, Pat’s tongue darted out to trace the seam of Mitch’s lips, seeking entry. Mitch was too caught up in the feeling to get nervous, so he opened his lips and let their tongues meet for the first time. Pat’s mouth tasted like the Solo he’d had with dinner, and Mitch melted into it, trying to take in every detail in case this were his only chance.

They kissed until they were both breathless. When Mitch put a fraction of space between their lips, Pat pressed their foreheads together momentarily.

“Reckon that’s enough practice?” Mitch asked softly.

Pat laughed angelically. “It’s a good start,” he replied.

Mitch’s mind was spinning. If this was only the start, he couldn’t imagine what was coming next.

***  
Pat and Mitch ‘practiced’ kissing a whole lot, over the next few days. It started to come so naturally to Pat that he gave Mitch a chaste kiss in the middle of the locker room, on the morning of day five. 

Josh, Starcy, Tim, Shaun and Steve all saw it, and looked at them with surprise.

“Uh, boys, is there something you’d like to share with us?” Steve asked.

Pat blinked, realising what he had just done. With a pang of relief, he realised that this would just strengthen the evidence that he and Mitch were ‘dating.’

Josh responded to Steve. “They’re together, which is why Patty can’t be the next Bachelor,” he sighed.

Steve directed a questioning look at Pat, and Pat averted his eyes, looking at his shoes.

Steve just shook his head with confusion, leaving them to it.

When the small group had disbanded, Mitch put a warm hand on Pat’s lower back, and Pat tried not to get lost in the sensation.

“Do you think they bought it?” Mitch asked, his face so close to Pat’s that Pat could smell the coffee they’d shared on his lips.

Pat blinked to clear his mind, before nodding. “Yeah, definitely,” he said. 

Mitch grinned, squeezing Pat’s hip before letting him go. Pat couldn’t understand why he felt a little pang of disappointment in his heart, at the loss of Mitch’s touch.

***  
Hours after Australia secured the win, the Adelaide sun had set, and it was getting a bit colder in the locker room. Mitch, being used to the Perth temperatures, shivered involuntarily when the breeze blew in through the open door.

Pat noticed, rubbing up and down Mitch’s arms with his hands to try and warm him up. The action made Mitch giggle, and the sound warmed Pat’s heart. 

“Do you have a jumper, baby?” Pat asked softly. The affectionate term slipped out of his mouth, and his eyes widened as soon as he heard himself.

Mitch raised his eyebrows, but he was smiling. “Baby?” He mouthed, surprised. Pat just shrugged, so Mitch laughed softly before he continued. “No, I didn’t bring one. It was warm when we left the hotel,” he admitted.

Pat clucked his tongue. “Mitchy, how many times to I need to tell you that the weather changes throughout the day and you need to be prepared-“

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry,” Mitch laughed, rolling his eyes fondly.

Pat shook his head, still smiling. “Hang on. Here,” he said, heading over to his locker to collect the white knitted jumper that was a part of his Test uniform. 

He returned and handed the jumper to Mitch. Mitch held it in his hands, stunned. “Are you sure you don’t mind me wearing this?” Mitch asked, looking at where PJC was embroidered on the sleeve.

Pat shook his head. “You’re freezing, Mitchy, don’t be silly.”

Mitch pulled the jumper on, and Pat reached out to help when his collar got stuck.

“It smells like you, like vanilla,” Mitch commented softly, turning his head into his shoulder to take a deep breath.

Pat melted, at that.

“Is that a good thing?” Pat asked.

“Definitely,” Mitch replied, and they exchanged a soft smile that lingered a second too long.

“Come on, Mitchy, let’s get back to the celebrations.”

***  
The third Test was in Perth, and everyone expected Pat to stay over at Mitch’s. If he stayed at the hotel, it would have given their lie away, right?

So that was how Pat found himself living with Mitch for a week. Mitch had a spare bedroom, but every night, they seemed to find an excuse for why Pat ended up in Mitch’s bed.

One morning, Pat woke up snuggled in Mitch’s arms. He panicked, but when Mitch woke up, he just pressed a sleepy kiss to Pat’s lips. “Morning, Patty,” he said gently.

Pat was too recently asleep to realise they had just kissed so casually.

Sure, they’d been kissing a whole lot over the last couple of weeks. But it was all for practice - as part of the act. Right?

When Pat was more awake, he got up to make them both a coffee. Mitch squeezed his bum as he got out of bed, making Pat giggle. When Pat looked back at Mitch, he saw Mitch giving him the most adoring smile he had ever seen.

They were getting really good at fake dating.

As Pat brought Mitch his coffee, handing it to him with a little peck on the lips, he realised that it almost felt real.

***  
It hit Pat when they were watching Dr Phil, the night after Mitch had put on a 300 run partnership with Steve. 

Mitch snuggled into his side, and automatically, Pat leant in to give him a kiss. When Mitch parted his lips under Pat’s, allowing the kiss to deepen, Pat sighed contentedly.

His stomach was full of warmth. And that’s when he realised it. He had fallen for Mitch - not just as an act, but for real. The realisation took Pat’s breath away. Mitch was pretending, yet here Pat was, wanting it to be reality. He wanted Mitch to be his. Not just as an act, but for real.

One day, this act was going to be over. Mitch was going to find someone and settle down, and Pat was going to be pining over him forever, left with just this little taste of what a relationship could have been like.

He knew he should stop kissing Mitch, and come clean about his feelings, maybe even call the whole thing off. But this could have been his last chance to experience this. So he sighed, and melted into the kiss.

***  
The morning after the Test, Mitch was hungover, wanting to stay in bed after the team’s big celebration the night before.

Pat’s heart was racing, and he was too anxious to think clearly. He had fallen for Mitch, big time. They had nearly had sex, last night, but Pat forced himself to slow things down so they both didn’t have regrets when they were sober.

He left Mitch in bed with a soft kiss, and picked up his phone as he headed to Mitch’s kitchen.

He texted Shaun. “Hey mate, are you up?”

Shaun replied quickly. “I have a toddler, mate. I’ve been up since 6:30. R u ok?”

Pat chuckled at the response. Shaun hadn’t exactly gone easy on the beers last night, so he felt for him - he probably felt like shit. “Are you free to get a coffee? Need to talk.”

Shaun must have sensed the urgency in Pat’s message, so he replied quickly, agreeing to meet up. Shaun knew all of the best spots, so he sent Pat the address of a local cafe, and they planned to meet there in twenty minutes.

Pat went to tell Mitch, but Mitch had fallen back asleep. Pat smiled softly at the sight, leaving him be. He wrote Mitch a little note on the notepad in the kitchen before he left, placing it on Mitch’s bedside table on the way out.

***  
“Shaun, I need to talk to you about something,” Pat admitted, scratching the back of his neck. 

Shaun just nodded, taking a sip from his coffee. 

“And please don’t tell Mitch,” Pat grimaced. 

“Alright,” Shaun nodded, giving Pat the floor. 

“So Mitchy already told you that we were pretending to date, right?” Pat asked, and Shaun nodded. “I’ve really fucked up, and I don’t know who else to talk to. You’ve always been there for me when we’ve toured together, you’re like another brother to me... I really hope I don’t screw that up by what I’m about to tell you,” Pat said, clearly worried. 

Shaun frowned, reaching across the table to squeeze Pat’s forearm comfortingly. 

“Patty, unless you’ve really hurt Mitch, nothing that you say will upset me,” Shaun said gently. 

Pat swallowed. This revelation could possibly upset Mitch. But he had to be honest. 

“Shaun... in amongst all this pretending, I’ve actually fallen for Mitch. And I know it’s wrong, I know he doesn’t feel the same way, and it’s all my fault, but my heart has gotten used to having him so close, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready when the act ends,” Pat admitted. 

Shaun blinked, taking a sip of his coffee to buy some time. “You have feelings for Mitch?”

Pat nodded, worried that he had not only screwed things up with Mitch, but Shaun as well. 

And then Shaun smiled. “Oh, Patty,” he grinned. “That’s lovely.”

Pat hadn’t expected that response. “You aren’t angry with me?”

“Why would I be? Mitch loves you, Patty. You know that,” Shaun replied.

Yes, Pat knew Mitch loved him. But that’s what almost a decade of friendship tends to do to people, right? 

“You should tell him,” Shaun suggested, taking the lid off his coffee to sip it from the paper cup.

Pat just stared at him. “But what if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if he thinks the idea of being together is gross?”

Shaun looked exasperated. “Patty, he’s literally already pretending to be with you. He wouldn’t have agreed to that, if he did think it was gross,” he reasoned.

Pat considered this - it was a fair point.

“Give it some time if you need to,” Shaun said gently. “But I promise you, it won’t end badly.”

Pat had no idea how Shaun could know how things would turn out with Mitch, but he tried to believe him.

***  
Mitch was still asleep when Pat returned, a takeaway coffee in his hand.

It was getting late to wake up, so Pat perched next to Mitch on the bed, stroking a hand back through Mitch’s hair. Mitch blinked awake, and when he saw Pat, he smiled softly.

“What time is it?” Mitch asked.

“Eleven thirty,” Pat chuckled. “This is for you,” he said, placing the paper coffee cup beside Mitch.

Mitch realised it was a takeaway coffee, and looked at Pat, adorably confused. “Did you buy this?”

“Yeah, I actually went out with Shaun,” Pat admitted.

Mitch raised his eyebrows. “Jeez, I must have really been asleep,” he chuckled. “Is everything okay?”

Pat swallowed. He didn’t want to put this all on Mitch when he’d just woken up and probably felt like shit.

“Let’s talk when you’ve had a chance to wake up,” Pat suggested, running his fingers back through Mitch’s hair once more.

Mitch looked concerned, but he nodded, and Pat left him be for a few minutes. 

“I’ll make us some pancakes,” he told Mitch, heading out of the room.

***  
They sat on Mitch’s verandah to eat, enjoying the Perth sunshine. Once they had finished, a nervous silence settled between them, and Pat knew this was it. He had to come clean to Mitch, and admit he had fallen for him. He could have been about to lose his best friend, right here.

“Mitch,” Pat began nervously.

Mitch met his eyes.

“I need to be honest with you. I’ve really fucked up,” Pat continued.

“Are you okay?” Mitch asked, concern evident on his face.

Pat could have melted at his care, but he had to keep going before he chickened out. “Mitchy, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I’ve fallen for you.”

Mitch looked at him, eyes wide. “Really?”

“I know it’s wrong. I know we were pretending, and none of it was real, but over these last few weeks, it’s become real to me,” Pat admitted, staring down at his plate so he didn’t see Mitch’s disgust.

Mitch let out a disbelieving laugh. “So all of those kisses, all of the sweet words, none of that was fake?” Mitch asked.

Pat’s stomach was turning with shame. Did Mitch think he was a disgusting creep, using him?

“I’m so sorry, Mitchy, I didn’t mean to use you, but I didn’t mean to fall for you, either.”

Mitch frowned, confused. “Wait, why are you sorry?”

“Because I took advantage of you! I kissed you and cuddled you under the pretence of this lie, but it was all for my personal benefit. And the worst part is I know I should regret it, but I don’t. If that was my only chance to play relationships with you, then I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.” Pat’s words were panicked, now, and his hands were shaking. He had fucked up so severely.

But Mitch just looked at him with awe. “Patty, I’ve been yours since the day I met you,” he mumbled. “I thought this was my only chance to experience being with you, too.”

The boys looked at each other, comprehending what the other was saying. 

"Mitch, are you saying..."

Mitch put his hand over Pat's, on the table. He took a deep breath before he spoke. “Patty, I love you. As more than my best friend. I want to be with you. Properly, not just to pretend. Is that what you want?” Mitch asked, his voice unsure.

“I want to be yours, always,” Pat murmured, shocked at how this day had panned out.

Mitch grinned, then - a radiant smile that swept Pat off his feet. 

“Can I kiss you?” Mitch asked.

Pat chuckled. “Baby, we’ve been kissing for weeks. You never need to ask me, ever again. My answer is yes. It’ll always be yes.”

***  
Pat’s answer was also yes, when Mitch proposed to him, after the 2019 Ashes series.

They told Josh and Starcy the truth, eventually. They couldn’t believe that they were the ones who had indirectly set Pat and Mitch up.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed something a bit different 😊 xxx


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